Patti Page, who in the 1950s was one of the leading recording artists in the world, died at age 85 on New Year’s day. Over her career she had 13 gold singles and sold more than 70 million records. Most of them were recorded on the Mercury label.

Page performed several times in Denver. In June 1955 she appeared at Red Rocks for the “Starlight Pops Festival.” In March 1975, she played a week at the Warehouse Restaurant and in 1977 at the Turn of the Century.

She was born Clara Ann Fowler in Claremont, Oklahoma. She was one of 11 children of a family “poor in money but not in love.”

Her big break came when she subbed for the regular vocalist who failed to show for a 15-minute Page Milk Co. show on a Tulsa radio station. Musician and band manager Jack Rael heard her and that began a longtime artist-management relationship.

[media-credit name=”Mercury Recording File Photo” align=”aligncenter” width=”495″][/media-credit] Mercury recording star Patti Page who, musicians say, never needs to rehearse a number more than twice to get the proper “sound and feel, ” is shown rehearsing for her newest disk. August 1962.

Page had three regular television programs during the late ’50s. Some of her well-known hits include:

“Tennessee Waltz”
“Mockin’ Bird Hill”
“(How Much Is) That Doggy In the Window”
“Old Cape Cod”
“Pyramids Along The Nile”

[media-credit name=”ABC Television Network File Photo” align=”aligncenter” width=”495″][/media-credit] The New Oldsmobile Show starring Patti Page was a musical variety show shown on 234 stations of the ABC Television Network. October 1958.